How to get an EIN in Ohio (and which Ohio tax IDs you also need)

What is an EIN, and does Ohio issue one?

An EIN is the nine-digit federal tax ID the IRS assigns to a business. Ohio does not issue it and has no state equivalent called an EIN. When a bank or vendor asks an Ohio company for its "tax ID number," it almost always means the federal EIN.

Three different numbers get confused. The Ohio Secretary of State gives your LLC or corporation an entity (charter) number when it files the articles. The IRS gives the EIN. The Ohio Department of Taxation gives account numbers for specific state taxes, such as employer withholding or sales tax. Each identifies the business to a different office, and none replaces the others.

The IRS application is free. The IRS's own page says, "You never have to pay a fee for an EIN," and warns about websites that charge for one. This guide walks through doing it yourself. If you would rather hand it off, we can get an EIN for your Ohio LLC for $50 online, with no IRS fee.

Is an Ohio state tax ID number the same as an EIN?

No. Ohio has no single "state tax ID." Instead, the Ohio Department of Taxation opens an account for each state tax that applies to you, and most of those registrations ask for your EIN first. Here is how they line up.

Our guides cover each Ohio account in detail: employer withholding registration, the Ohio vendor's license, the Commercial Activity Tax, and unemployment insurance registration. Get the EIN first; each of those registrations asks for it.

Does my Ohio business need an EIN?

Most Ohio businesses that form an entity end up needing one. Corporations and multi-member LLCs need an EIN to file their federal returns. Any business that will have employees needs one for payroll.

A single-member LLC with no employees is the main exception. By default the IRS treats it as a "disregarded entity," and the Form SS-4 instructions say it reports income on the owner's return. In practice, nearly every bank asks for an EIN to open an LLC account, and using one keeps your Social Security number off W-9s you hand to customers. Our single-member LLC guide covers the trade-offs.

Sole proprietors without employees can usually use their own Social Security number. Many get an EIN anyway for the same privacy reason. A trade name or DBA does not need its own EIN; it uses the EIN or SSN of the person or company that owns it.

Step 1: Form the Ohio entity before you apply

Apply after the Ohio Secretary of State approves your Articles of Organization or Incorporation. Form SS-4's instructions say the legal name must match "the charter, or other applicable legal document," so the IRS record should match the state record exactly.

If you apply before the LLC exists, you risk an EIN tied to a name the state later changes or rejects. Wait for the approval, then copy the name exactly, commas and periods included. If you have not filed yet, our step-by-step guide covers how to form the LLC, or you can form your Ohio LLC through us.

Step 2: Identify the responsible party

The IRS asks for one responsible party: "someone who owns, controls or exercises effective control over a business." That person directly or indirectly manages its funds and assets. For most small Ohio companies, it is the owner or a managing member.

The online application needs the responsible party's Social Security number or ITIN. A nominee, such as a formation company's employee, cannot be the responsible party. The IRS says "nominees can't apply for an EIN and shouldn't be listed on Form SS-4." If the real owner has no SSN or ITIN, the application goes on paper instead, as covered below.

Step 3: Check that you can use the IRS online application, and when it is open

You can apply online if your principal place of business is in the United States or a U.S. territory and the responsible party has an SSN or ITIN. The IRS also requires that you be a domestic organization and that you not already be applying with an EIN, unless you are a government entity.

Ohio is on Eastern Time, so those are local hours. The IRS limits applications to one EIN per responsible party per day. If you own several companies, plan to apply for them on separate days.

Step 4: Complete the online application in one session

Have everything in front of you before you start. The IRS says the session "expires after 15 minutes of inactivity," and you cannot save it for later. Gather:

• The entity's exact legal name as the Ohio Secretary of State filed it.
• The entity type, and for an LLC, the number of members.
• The responsible party's name and SSN or ITIN.
• The business's physical address in Ohio and a mailing address, if different.
• The date the business started and its main activity.
• Whether you expect to have employees in the next 12 months, and when you will first pay wages.

Answer the LLC classification questions carefully. A single-member LLC that will be disregarded and a multi-member LLC taxed as a partnership answer differently. If you plan an S corporation election, that is a separate filing after the EIN; our S corp election service files Form 2553.

Step 5: Save the EIN confirmation letter

If the IRS approves the application, it issues the EIN immediately on screen. The IRS tells applicants to print the EIN confirmation letter for their records. Save it as a PDF too.

That letter is the document banks, payroll providers, and licensing offices ask for. Keep it with your filed articles and operating agreement. Losing it is a common reason account openings stall.

Step 6: Open the Ohio tax accounts that apply

With the EIN in hand, register for the state accounts your business actually needs. Most are done online through OH|TAX eServices at the Ohio Department of Taxation.

• Hiring? Register for Ohio employer withholding. The Department says employers must register within 15 days of when the liability begins. The same account number covers school district withholding.
• Hiring? Also open an unemployment insurance account with ODJFS once you meet the wage or 20-week test.
• Selling taxable goods or services at retail? Get a vendor's license before your first sale: $50 per fixed place of business under ORC 5739.17.
• Ohio receipts over $6 million in a calendar year? Register for the CAT within 30 days of crossing the line.
• Operating in a city with an income tax? Register with that city, or use the state's central filing option where available.

Our Ohio municipal income tax guide covers the city layer, which surprises many new owners.

How to get an EIN for an Ohio LLC without an SSN

File Form SS-4 by fax or mail. The online application is closed when the responsible party has no SSN or ITIN, or the principal place of business is outside the United States.

Foreign owners of Ohio LLCs use this route most. Our guide for Ohio LLC owners who live out of state covers the rest of their setup. Our EIN service handles paper filings for $200.

Mistakes that cause EIN headaches later

• Paying a website for something the IRS gives free, without realizing it. The IRS warns about sites that charge for EINs.
• Applying before the Ohio articles are approved, then ending up with a name mismatch.
• Listing a nominee or formation company employee as the responsible party.
• Getting a second EIN for a name change. A new name alone generally does not need a new EIN; a change in ownership structure may.
• Assuming the EIN registers you for Ohio taxes. It does not; each Ohio account is a separate registration.

If you already have an EIN and lost the number, look at old tax returns, bank records, or the confirmation letter before applying again.

Prefer not to do it yourself? We can get the EIN for you

Our EIN service is $50 when the IRS online application applies and $200 when it has to go on paper. There is no IRS fee either way. We prepare Form SS-4 from your filed articles, collect the responsible party's SSN or ITIN securely after you order, file, and put the IRS confirmation in your portal.

If we are also your $49-a-year Ohio statutory agent, IRS and Ohio Department of Taxation mail sent to our office is scanned to your portal the same business day.